Another favorite tool since I use it daily.

Rule of thumb (again): Don’t ask yourself how this works. It just does. Most people will act in disbelief till they spend an inordinate amount of time questioning or wondering how Peak Performance tools really work.

Ask/Believe/ Receive is different than plain ‘wishful thinking’ or ‘positive thinking’. I know these other methods since I have tried them and the Ask/ Believe/ Receive method has worked for me.

I initially thought that this method was metaphysical liking it to the practice of some of my peers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) . I had once joked with some staff about the existence of metaphysical phenomena only to get a cold reminder that the Congolese and a lot of Africans do in fact believe in it. And by the way, who am I to convince them otherwise that metaphysical phenomena do not exist? Who am I to know better?

However after taking a Brain Science coaching certification with a leading authority in Neurosciences , Dr. Srini Pillay I have come to the conclusion that the reason we receive what we ask and believe is probably due to some really creative programming in our brain.

I am firm believer that we shape our destiny and by doing so, we are one step closer to greatness. One sure way to do this is to focus one’s thinking. Of the many authors I have read on positive thinking and optimism, there are traits that leaders have developed in which they repeat over and over again which explains why these leaders always seem to do better than their peers and have more success than most of us.

A lot has to do with Ask. Believe. Receive.

Here is how it works:

Find yourself a quiet spot where you can concentrate and think without interruptions like cell phones, internet and sms.

Think about the task you wish to accomplish. It can be delivering an important presentation, overcoming a tough negotiation, convincing a new client to agree with your proposal, ending a dispute with a loved one. You need to have in mind the objective first, before you can ask for its attainment.

Then quite simply ask for what you want. Ex. ‘ I want this presentation to go well and people to say Wow great presentation’.

Now focus on what you want by saying to yourself (in your mind) ‘I want the following’ or basically, Asking for something (hence Ask. Believe. Receive )…this should last about 5-7 seconds.

At this point you will notice or feel a little jolt or shock in your body. It may be subtle or strong or almost nothing.

Once you asked for what you wanted try to imagine agreement, or someone agreeing or nodding to your request. It can be a person’s face or a person’s head nodding in agreement. It does not have to be a person you know and it does not have to be you, or you imagining that your head is nodding in agreement.

As you picture someone agreeing with your request, this is forming the Believing (hence Ask. Believe. Receive) part of the method.

Then, exhale because you would have kept your breath throughout this 10-15 second exercise. This is the Receive part.

After this is done, don’t think about it anymore. Go straight or proceed to what you are planning to do. In this case proceed to the meeting room and get ready to present. Let it go. It will come to you.

Remember to only ask once. You don’t need to repeat over and over what you asked for. Asking repeatedly actually messes up the process; it sends the message too many times ‘out there’. To make it easier to understand, think of a similar case such as when you order a pizza from your favorite pizza shop. You call and order a pizza only once. You don’t call 5 minutes later to say “I want a pizza’ and then 5 minutes later again to say “I want a pizza’. You call once and the pizza shows up in about 30 minutes.

The Ask/Believe/Receive process is the same here – ask only once. In some scientific way you are programming your brain, you are calling on a metaphysical phenomenon, the stars align, magic happens; whatever…It doesn’t matter – it just works.

Apply this to any endeavor you undertake, personal, business or social.

What this exercise does is it focuses your brain on a particular objective or outcome. If you focus, ask and sincerely believe that you can achieve this outcome, then you will receive it – pure and simple.

My track record? Answer: Probably 95%. In fact I was so surprised of its efficiency that I don’t even think of the other 5%.

This method has an effect of building up your confidence. Once you have done the exercise, exhaled and proceded to the task at hand, you forget about your fears, doubts or confusion enabling your mind to be free and to concentrate on the task at hand.

I have used this practice for simple tasks and even for more complex objectives or milestones.

My own belief is that the success rate is due to a combination of focused brain programming, enhanced confidence, added lucidity and to some extent you are influencing the people or audience by sending positive energy ‘out there’. Perhaps this is where the metaphysical comes in.

Again, I apply the rule of thumb: I don’t ask myself how or wonder how this works. It just does!

Besides what’s the worse thing that can happen for having spent 10-15 seconds of focused thinking is well… nothing . Not a big loss for the level of investment.